


His World

by savagebinn



Series: Café Enchanté R18 Patch [3]
Category: Café Enchanté (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant Ending Fix, Domestic Fluff, Double Penetration, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Interspecies Romance, Non-Human Genitalia, Post-Canon, Sex Magic, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:08:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29836491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savagebinn/pseuds/savagebinn
Summary: Over a year has passed since Noah's death, and the consequences of Kotone's existance as a world are further reaching than the Enchanté gang could have ever anticipated. Between unknown forces seeking her destruction and Misyr's failing health, things couldn't be more dire. A piping hot continuation of our favorite coffee-loving demon lord's route!
Relationships: Awaki Kotone/Miser Rex | Misyr Rex
Series: Café Enchanté R18 Patch [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023777
Kudos: 9





	His World

"Hah... Damn. These things are getting stronger, whatever they are," Epilogi panted as the chains of light finally receded back into his palm.

For several months now, mysterious tears in space had been appearing in Enchanté, which now served as not only a meeting place for the supernatural, but Kotone's body. The fact that they now required three of Caelm's most powerful angels to subdue did not bode well, and to make matters worse, no one from any of the patron's worlds appeared to know anything about them.

"This is the third such occurrence this month," Solitus noted, glaring suspiciously at the large charred gash left in the earth below them, while Il immediately took to the air in a panic.

"Kotone?! Can you hear me?! Kotone!" he called out, frantically zipping all around the area, addressing everything from chairs to plants, making for a somewhat comical sight despite the seriousness of the situation.

"I'm here, everyone..." the barista finally replied, her words seeming to emanate from everywhere, yet nowhere in particular. "Thank you. I'm sorry, but I think I need to sleep for a while..."

Pain was evident in her voice, and if past occurrences had been any indication, the damage sustained would leave her formless for a few days until she recovered, but she was aware, and most importantly, alive.

Il sighed in relief, his wings drooping as the emotional and physical strain of all that transpired finally caught up with him. All visible parties, which at the moment only consisted of three angels and one Bestian, looked troubled. Each new incident seemed to last longer, hit harder, and require more effort to contain.

"If these events continue to escalate, our efforts will soon be ineffective. I believe our best course of action is retreat."

"Solitus!"

"Eh, I hate to say it, but he's got a point, Il. At this rate, we're gonna get swallowed up by these things, too," Epilogi added hesitantly in agreement, and Il's plumage immediately bristled.

Solitus never been one to mince words. He was cool, pragmatic and logical, and while Il's emotions may have screamed otherwise, the logical part of his mind knew that his other wing was technically correct. He still couldn't bring himself to accept it, though. He could never accept it, but rather than continue the fruitless argument with his fellow angels, he turned his attention to their Bestian onlooker.

"Ignis," Il spoke to the firewolf, who'd been, much to his frustration, mostly helpless in these situations. The redhead knew without asking what was needed of him.

"I'm on it."

* * *

"REJOICE, MINIONS!"

A booming, grating voice interrupted the group as Asmodeus made his grand entrance, swinging the door open with a rack of shriveled, black... somethings in hand.

"Oh Lord," Rindo sighed under his breath as the others looked on wearily.

Asmodia's true king wasn't a bad man per say, but what he lacked in villainy, he more than made up for in being exceedingly irritating, and today was no exception. He was currently under something akin to probation for non-humans, as evidenced by the metal collar around his neck: an ingenious if somewhat terrifying protective measure that Il of all people had excitedly suggested after finishing a certain otome game. Along with functioning as a tracking device, a needle containing enough suppressio to knock the demon out for several hours was concealed within it, and Rindo had full control over that mechanism.

"It took several moons, but I finally did it! My famous dried salamanders, guaranteed to restore mana to even the sickliest demons! Normally these would cost you peasants your weight in gold, but-"

"He's human now, you buffoon. That won't help. If anything, it might make him sicker," the middle-aged man stated in an exasperated tone, interrupting his presentation.

"Heh, it's okay, Rindo. I appreciate- _ngh!"_

A sudden dizzy spell left the purple-haired man unable to finish.

"You must rest, Misyr," Canus spoke worriedly, carefully supporting the human's frail body.

Misyr was currently in the medical bay of GPM's headquarters, along with Rindo, who'd picked him up for his appointment, and Canus, who'd accompanied him. Compared to when he'd first reverted to his human form, he was almost unrecognizable. He'd lost a great deal of weight, and though the headless knight was known for his size, the contrast of Misyr's emaciated frame against his own just made the sight all the more unsettling.

The damage his human body had taken while in the World of End Times had been catastrophic. Even after several surgeries and intensive physical therapy, though things had briefly appeared hopeful, the effects remained and eventually festered, baffling doctors. The closest thing in the human world that correlated with his symptoms was radiation poisoning. While his injuries had mostly healed, his DNA had been irreparably damaged, leaving him vulnerable to the aggressive, incurable disease that was now rapidly spreading throughout his body. Physical limitations aside, the pain was nothing he couldn't handle. Compared to what he'd endured for centuries in that hellish world of ash, his days with Kotone and his friends had been heaven. Unfortunately, while the discomfort he was in may have paled in comparison, unlike the deformed creature he'd been, his body was once again mortal, and it was nearing its limit.

"Misyr! It happened again!"

Ignis barreled into the room. He'd apparently run the entire way, judging by the scorch marks in the shape of footprints trailing behind him, which the nurse scowled at irritably.

"Is she okay?!" he replied, standing up immediately despite his condition while Canus readied himself to assist him if needed.

"It got her pretty good again, but she's with it and talkin'."

Misyr looked somewhat relieved, but the air in the room remained tense. Rindo immediately phoned Mikado to have him perform another thorough sweep of the premises, but as he'd done the same several times before, it was doubtful he would turn up anything new. The situation was incredibly frustrating for all involved.

"Oi, Asthma, you _sure_ there's no funny business goin' on in your world?"

"It's Asmodeus, you vile dog, and I'd never harm a hair on her head! Besides, nothing so terrifying exists in our realm..."

The genuine fear in the demon's voice was enough to snuff out any lingering suspicion. Unfortunately, it only served to heighten their anxiety. Misyr's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fist at his side.

* * *

"They're indeed structurally similar to other wormholes we've recorded, but their behavior is strange."

"How do you mean?" Kotone questioned, carefully wrapping a blanket around Misyr, who'd fallen asleep on the bench, before leaning in over the small bespectacled man seated on a nearby chair.

A week had passed since the last incident, and Mikado had come to share the limited fruits of his research. He was scrolling through notes on his tablet at a dizzying pace, far faster than his onlooker could possibly hope to read.

"I was able to isolate a small fissure during the last event, similar to the one we have for Bestia, though not nearly enough for a human to traverse. We fitted several lab mice with tracking devices and attempted to send them through, but they were immediately expelled. Even the devices alone were sent back."

"I don't understand... A wormhole can't just lead _nowhere,_ can it? I always thought they were pathways through worlds, like the gate."

Mikado nodded, resting his sleeve-covered palm under his chin in thought. "This is only conjecture, but I get the impression that these particular wormholes only let travelers in when they want to. Perhaps something, or some _one_ , is controlling that mechanism."

It sounded so ominous. As the incidents continued with growing frequency and intensity, it had become clear they weren't a coincidence, but the idea that some malicious entity was behind them sent a shiver down Kotone's spine. Who would want to hurt her, and why? Noah was no more, and from everything she'd heard from her non-human patrons, times in their respective worlds had never been better. She could think of nothing.

"Well, enough of that! Your form seems to have solidified _quite nicely_ , I must say..." he noted in a delighted tone, his glasses glinting with that signature, terrifying scientific curiosity, "How would you feel about providing a blood sam-"

"No."

"How cruel! Shot down again..." he sighed, but his angst was short lived as he gazed down lovingly at the non-human nestled against him. "Shizuku likes it here."

'How can you tell?' was Kotone's first inclination to ask, but she managed to hold her tongue as she gazed down upon the tiny, two-tailed creature. As usual, she didn't appear conscious, but a closer look revealed that the non-human looked more tranquil than she remembered. Its snout was buried in the scientist's collar, and its tiny paws made little kneading motions against his chest. Even without her mind, even in her sedated state, it seemed Shizuku still recognized her beloved on some level, and clearly enjoyed his company. The bittersweet scene tugged at the barista's heart, and she didn't realize she'd been staring for some time until his voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"No matter what form, you should treasure the time you have with the one you love," he began, sounding oddly melancholy for the usually-hyper scientist, "I haven't given up, so don't you go acting like anything's set in stone just yet."

"But the doctors said-"

"And they're correct. Nothing in the realm of traditional medicine can help him now, but if you're desperate enough, if you're like... me, there might still be a chance, granted, it's a risky one."

Kotone felt bile rise to her throat as the green-haired man reached into his coat pocket to produce a small glass bottle. She'd been aware for some time of the events that transpired at GPM's now-defunct Second Development Division, the true nature of the 'doll' known as Kuu that Mikado so cherished, and how she came to appear as such: metaplasia. The red liquid that danced within seemed to draw her in despite her better judgement; a cruel temptation from a well-meaning friend. She knew what was right in her heart. She knew it without having to consider it, but the knowledge that the shimmering substance was the last thread of hope, however twisted, connecting her to her beloved was too much for her to turn it down outright. Clenching her fist at her side, she hesitated, before finally reaching out to gingerly take the tiny bottle and stow it away in her breast pocket.

"I'll... think about it."

* * *

What had once been an empty room in Enchanté was now Misyr's very own. The decor was cozy and humble, with calming shades of brown and beige throughout. Countless books lined the shelves along the far wall, most of which he'd procured himself after becoming human. Since Kotone was unable to leave the building, picking out titles he thought she would like had become a routine he took great pleasure in before his health took a nosedive. The two had spent countless hours together in the café's tea party garden or sprawled out on his bed, immersing themselves in just about every genre imaginable. Misyr had always enjoyed reading, but what he loved most of all wasn't actually the act of reading itself, but discussing it with Kotone after, so much so that it became something of a running joke between them that they were members of the world's most exclusive book club.

"I think I got it right this time!"

Kotone's eager voice was like a balm to his soul as she entered the room carrying a tray with a steaming bowl atop it. She'd worked diligently to ensure he kept at least some food in him, and that what he did was both as tasty and nutritious as possible. She'd dutifully attended him throughout the progression of his illness without so much as shedding a tear in his presence or uttering a word of complaint, though old and keenly-observant as he was, she was unable to hide the pain in her eyes. He knew she was suffering.

"Now, I can't vouch for the taste _myself_ yet, but Ignis gave it a thumbs up, and you know how hard it is to get him to eat anything without meat in it," she explained, pulling a chair over to his bedside and setting the tray on the nightstand before fluffing up some pillows and gingerly helping the human man sit upright. "Canus went to the market for me this morning, so it's all fresh. It should be gentle on your stomach, too."

She turned around, spoon in hand, only to let out a tiny, surprised sound when Misyr's lips met her own. It wasn't a heated or sensual kiss, but it was earnest, purposeful, and so full of love. It was as if he was trying to convey everything he felt for her, everything words weren't enough to express, through that single action, and for the first time in a long while, Kotone felt her heart flutter not with unease, but with that girlish giddiness from simpler times. The fact that even now he could evoke such a reaction was a testament to their bond, and she knew, no matter how long she existed, no one else would ever fill the place he'd taken in her heart. Whether it took hundreds, thousands, millions of years, whether anything even came of his promise at all, she would never love another man. They were soulmates in the truest sense of the word.

Once he'd finished as much as he could, Kotone cleared away the half-empty bowl and tray, excusing herself to the first floor and leaving Misyr to rest.

She knew it wouldn't be long now, and as such, her time limit for using the metaplasia was nearly up. She fished the small bottle out of her pocket to examine it pensively. There was no way of knowing for sure what would happen should he drink it, and because of that, Kotone knew he'd never do so willingly. Would he become a type two non-human like Shizuku, sacrificing his intelligence for an animal-like existence? The thought of their banter, their pleasant chats, his teasing remarks that turned her cheeks scarlet all disappearing made her chest constrict painfully, but losing him altogether was even more unbearable. At least Mikado was still able to be with his beloved, to hold her and talk to her, even though she couldn't reply in kind; once Misyr was gone, she wouldn't even be able to do that much. The thought terrified her so much that it briefly brought to mind selfish thoughts of simply putting it in his food and robbing him of any choice in the matter, but ultimately, she knew she could never do it. A type two non-human, imperfect as it was, was still among the best-case scenarios. There was also the distinct possibility he would simply revert back to the form he'd taken in the World of End Times, throwing him into that unending nightmare all over again. How could she ever face him again if that happened?

"I'm sorry, Mikado..."

With a shaky hand, she opened the bottle, pouring its contents out onto the ground. As the trickle of red droplets waned, several clear ones soon took their place.

"Kotone?"

The barista jerked in alarm upon hearing her voice, immediately hiding the bottle and wiping her eyes before turning around to see Kariya and Kororo making their way into the garden.

"Oh, it's you two. How is everything, Kariya? Did you pass your test? And Kororo, you look like you've grown a bit! Your parents must be taking good care of you!"

The false cheer in her greeting didn't fool the pakus or fairy in the least, in part because, despite her best efforts, her form had grown see-through, and to make matters worse, the bottle had fallen to the ground with a clink as a result.

Kororo sniffed the empty glass vessel with a whine while Kotone and the young fairy stared at each other in awkward silence, before the teen spoke up.

"Kotone, I don't really get a lot of this adult stuff, and I'm not trying to pry into your business, but I- _we've_ been really worried. You're like, I don't know, a sister to me..." he admitted with a blush. "I know I'm just a student now, but you can still rely on me! My family knows about non-humans, and they're willing to help, too."

"Kukukyuu!" Kororo added in earnest, as if agreeing with the white-haired teen.

The gist of the situation had been explained to Kariya, and while Kororo's understanding of human speech was uncertain, the pup was clearly aware, whether through smell or bestial instinct, that something was gravely wrong with Enchanté's co-owner. While their species may have differed, they were both still children in the end, and Kotone refused involve them in adult matters any more than was necessary. Still, she smiled, an honest smile this time, leaning down to scoop the sea demon into her arms and tousle the ice fairy's hair affectionately.

"Thank you, Kariya, and Kororo, too. You're so kind, but just having you visit me is more than enough."

* * *

"Il, I need you to do something for me. It's important."

A few days had passed, and Misyr sounded quite frail as he spoke to his old friend, who'd been sprawled across his bedroom floor with a game console in hand for over an hour.

"Of course!" the angel replied, immediately rushing to his bedside and eagerly awaiting his request with wide, innocent eyes that made the human man's heart clench with guilt.

"Actually..." he sighed, "I'm hoping you can relay this request to the rest of the guys, but this is especially important for you: I want you to look after Kotone. However long she exists."

"Misyr! Don't speak of such things!"

"You think I'm happy about this?" he spoke quietly with a sardonic smile. "When I made that promise to her, this wasn't even on my radar yet. I thought I'd have so much more time. More time to think. More time to do... something."

"Misyr... Please don't give up! I've been working on altering our healing magic to work better on humans!"

While that much was true, the actual scope of such a task was far greater than time would allow. Angel bodies were a meticulously-crafted feat of ancient science from an era long passed, as was their corresponding healing magic. It simply wasn't something that could be accomplished in the span of the few months he'd been working on it, or even decades. Misyr knew this, but the fact that his dear little brother still tried made him happy regardless.

"I know it's a horrible, selfish request. I know that, but," he pleaded, his voice finally cracking, "I can't stand the thought of her being alone."

As if to assuage the his guilt, the angel took Misyr's bony hands firmly into his own, straightening himself up, puffing out his plumage, and looking him directly in the eye.

"You have my word! I must still help Solitus, but I will never leave Enchanté for long, nor leave her unattended. I know the others will feel the same. And then, once Caelm is settled... I shall stay here permanently."

* * *

The angel sat solemnly in his room a short time later, hunched over his desk with his head buried in his arms. As he rose to wipe his puffy eyes, a nearby figure caught his attention: with its stand surrounded by cogs and other intricate, steampunk-themed accents, a pretty young woman was smiling excitedly as a dashing masked man in a top hat held bridal style, seemingly whisking her away. They were characters from one of his favorite games, and their route had been an emotional roller coaster, but even when things seemed hopeless, they were able to reach their happy ending, so why? Why did the two people he loved the most have to suffer? Where was their happy ending? Had they not tried their best as well? Were they not deserving? Was their love not strong enough? According to the data he'd collected, they should have met all these requirements, so why...

"It's not supposed to be like this!"

* * *

Misyr awoke at an unknown hour later that night, sitting up to rub his eyes. A strange, flickering light at the foot of the bed caught his attention, and upon closer inspection, a look of alarm immediately spread across his face.

"Il! It's happening again! Il?!"

Despite the angel being just down the hallway, for some reason, there was no answer. Kotone, who would usually slip in sometime during the night, was also oddly absent. It was as if no one could hear him at all, and the situation only grew more perilous as the wormhole, that was moments ago only the size of an apple, rapidly expanded in his direction.

"Il! Kotone!" he called out desperately, attempting to pull himself out of bed, but his frail body wouldn't cooperate, and before he could manage, the fissure swallowed him whole like a giant maw seeking its prey.

Blinding white light. The sensation of falling. He had no idea how long it lasted; all he did know was the world he'd known, that precious place, that precious person, were now very far away.

* * *

"Mornin', Misyr. The usual, I take it?"

Misyr awoke to Souan's gruff-but-friendly voice greeting him, along with a pounding headache.

"Uh... Huh? Yeah..." he mumbled, rubbing his throbbing head as a plethora of familiar sounds and scents filled his senses. The bittersweet aroma of coffee, the friendly chatter of patrons and welcoming jingle of the entrance bell; it was all so familiar, but something was missing. Something of grave importance that unsettled him to his core.

He was interrupted from his thoughts as a steaming cup was placed before him.

"Thanks," he muttered, taking the cup to his lips as he tried to clear away the mental fog.

"Some pretty big balls on you, eh? To think it was all talk in the end. Some 'demon king' you turned out to be," he began, not looking at the young man, but clearly addressing him as he went about cleaning another customer's cup.

Misyr narrowed his eyes irritably. "What are you going on about, old timer?"

"'Even after I die... Even if it's hundreds, thousands, millions of years, I'll continue my journey to find you!'" the elderly man bleated in a high-pitched, mocking voice, and Misyr exhaled irritably, taking a sip from his cup, "Good grief. Kotone sure picked a melodramatic one."

"Kotone... Wait, **Kotone!"** he shouted in realization, jumping from his seat as his memories came flooding back all at once while the cup shattered beneath him, "W-what is this?! Where am I?!"

He of course had a strong suspicion by this point, though he prayed he was wrong.

"Oh, just another world. This one's a little different, of course, since only the dead can reach it."

"The..."

Dead. He couldn't bring himself to utter the terrifying word as the blood drained from his face, his knees giving out under him before falling back into the chair.

"Now, now. Calm down, I'm just razzin' ya a little. Future grandfather-in-law privilege. The dead part's true, though."

"Kotone's in danger, Souan," he explained, though the elderly man didn't seem the least bit surprised.

"Oh trust me, I'm well aware," he replied casually, sounding almost bored and not even bothering to meet his terrified gaze as he squinted at a spot on the countertop he was meticulously cleaning.

Angering Misyr was no easy feat, but his old friend's apparent lack of care, coupled with how helpless he felt, managed to get him shouting.

"Then how can you be so blasé about it?! This is your granddaughter we're talking about!"

Souan finally sighed, stuffing the cleaning towel into his apron and taking a seat across from the distraught man.

"Misyr, the higher-ups here aren't happy with this whole people-becoming-worlds thing. After what happened with Noah, they're afraid her existence poses an imminent threat. I personally think that's a bunch'a horseshit; my little sweetie would never become a monster, but I'm just the receptionist. There's only so much I can do," he explained in a grave tone.

Misyr gritted his teeth at the mere suggestion. He couldn't imagine it, yet he wasn't naïve enough to protest that it could never happen, either. While tens of thousands of years had eroded his memories of life before the crash, he doubted he'd been a bad person. The people humanity entrusted their future with would have had to have been of sound mind and character, yet by the time he'd completed his brutal transformation, he was so far gone that his first instinct upon seeing a helpless human child was to kill her in a jealous rage. Just the thought of harming Kotone now sickened him, but if things had played out only slightly differently, their first meeting could have been far more tragic. The human psyche simply wasn't meant to withstand what he'd gone through, and if things continued, what she would inevitably go through as well.

"The wormholes..."

The violet-haired man's face turned ashen as realization hit him like a ton of bricks, however, Suoan continued.

"Like hell I'd just stand there and let 'em do as they please, though! So, I did the manly thing and got down on my knees and begged 'em. Hah! Wasn't my proudest moment, but in the end they agreed to an ultimatum. That's where you come in," he explained, the younger man hanging on on his every word, "We're sendin' ya back, Misyr. On the condition that you _find a solution._ Change her back to a human, or hell, a non-human for all they care, so long as her form's contained again."

"They can do that?! Wait, who _is_ 'they'? I have so many... questions...." he trailed off, feeling the room spin around him as Souan smiled down at him knowingly, looping an arm under his own and pulling him to his feet.

"That body won't do, though. Good Lord; you don't even look thirty, but I'd bet anything I could mop the floor with you."

"Why'z erryone pickinng on me today..." the man in his grasp whined drowsily, slurring his words as his eyelids grew heavy from whatever altered state his body was apparently being put under.

"Bah. Baby. Well, I can't go tellin' ya _everything,_ but I'll leave you with this: my word alone wasn't enough. Truth is, you had a ton of folks here eager to vouch for ya. All the humans and non-humans you kept company in their final moments? Talked to? Made graves for? They remembered. Consider this a gift from them."

He felt himself growing increasingly lightheaded as he was led, or more accurately, dragged, toward the entrance by the burly old man, whose face was both stern and kind.

"Good luck, Misyr..."

His vision had faded to black, and his hearing, too, was fading. He was only vaguely aware of the sensation of a large hand shoving him from behind, and his body falling.

"You got one shot, boy! I'm counting on you! I'd better not see either of you for a long time, ya hear?!" Souan's voice called out from above, sounding terribly far away before Misyr lost consciousness completely.

* * *

"Darl _iii_ ng? Be a dear and refill this ice elixir, would you?"

"I've told you a dozen times it's called a milkshake," Kotone muttered, taking his empty cup and disappearing into the kitchen momentarily before emerging with a fresh one and passing it to him without a word. The silver-haired man moved to take her hand, but pouted childishly when she purposely allowed his own to pass right through her, denying him the contact.

Three months had passed since Misyr's death. The moment she'd realized it, all her bottled up sorrow over the past year finally came bursting out in the form of tears and anguished cries. Her physical form, vague though it was in such a state, could do nothing but cry for weeks. It felt like her very soul had been ripped out, and it was only recently that she was even able to function for work. While the wormholes had stopped appearing, and the barista still dutifully took orders and served her guests, her spark, that bright, welcoming smile that made Enchanté Enchanté, was gone.

"Come now, my bride; don't look so glum. I've been working on a spell for weeks now, just for you!"

That was enough to briefly catch not only Kotone's attention, but her other patron's as well, and with great suspicion, all eyes in the room settled on the bombastic king as he shrouded himself in a thick, black mist that hid his form momentarily before fading away to reveal a female version of himself. His outfit was nearly identical sans the addition of a skimpy chainmail bikini top barely containing his now-comically-huge breasts.

"Glorious, isn't it?! Since you _still_ haven't been wooed by my perfect, manly visage, there could be only one explanation, and I, the great Asmodeus, have found the solution. NOW, UNLEASH UPON ME _ALL_ YOUR _SAPPHIC IMPULSES!"_ he bellowed proudly in a falsetto female voice that somehow managed to be even more grating than his normal one, arms spread expectantly.

Kotone sighed. A tiny, strangled sound escaped from the back of both Ignis and Dromi's throats, their eyes twitching as the patty fell out of the burger the firewolf was holding up to his mouth. Vennia scowled, Titania averted her eyes, and the flames on Canus's neck took on a black, revolted hue. The only one seemingly unaffected was Il, who sat quietly hunched over his portable console, oblivious to the madness unfolding mere feet away.

"...You still don't even know her name," Canus finally commented, breaking the silence, to which the demon clicked his tongue.

"Names, names, names. What is it with you peons and the damn names? I don't want the human-planet to off herself anymore than you do."

"DUDE!" Ignis snapped from across the room.

"No, it's okay, everyone," Kotone spoke, plastering on the best forced smile she could muster in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "You've all been so kind to me. And Asmodeus, just so you know, I couldn't even if I wanted to, so you don't need to worry about it."

Since Misyr's passing, Enchanté had been busier than ever, and this was not a coincidence. Not a day went by that Kotone was alone. She'd made so many precious, irreplaceable friends since inheriting her grandfather's café, and each and every one of them had rallied around her in an effort to keep her sane.

"Yes, yes, fantastic. Now, come; let out all your sorrows in the comfort of my bosom."

...Some doing a better job of it than others.

"That's it! I'm about to let out my fist upside your head, asshole!"

"Yeah! Kick his ass, bro!" Dromi cheered, his striped tail wagging excitedly as his adoptive brother leapt over their table and across the room toward the demon, who transformed back to his normal self as the two stared each other down threateningly. Meanwhile, a low growl emanated from the petite girl nearby, a single fang poking out from her tightly-pursed lips before she finally shrieked, silencing the quarreling patrons.

"Enough! Kotone doesn't need this right now! ALL NON-FARIES, _**OUT!"**_

Along with her shout, thick, glowing green vines rapidly materialized throughout the café, wrapping themselves around Asmodeus, Ignis, Dromi and Il before forcibly ejecting them from the building.

"W-w-w-wait! What did I doooooo?!" the angel cried as he, along with the three less-innocent non-humans, were all dropped on their rumps near the doorway outside. He gasped in horror at the sight of his game a few feet away on the pavement.

"Hah! This works out perfectly. Out here, I can wreak havoc without putting my dear bride in danger!"

"Hmm? What was that, Asmodeus?" Rindo's staticy voice warned through the collar.

"Er?! S-surely there's an exception for self-defense...?"

The king's query was met with silence, which in turn was met with a certain firewolf grinning predatorily and cracking his knuckles.

"CURSE YOU, RINDO!"

Il was oblivious to the shrieking demon running down the sidewalk with two beasts in hot pursuit, instead fretting over the console that had been knocked out of his hands in the commotion. He put a hand to his heart in relief upon seeing his precious possession unharmed, flying up and out of sight to resume his gaming on the roof.

Inside Enchanté, which was finally quiet with just Kotone and her kin, Titania exhaled in relief.

"Impressive, Your Majesty," Canus remarked in wonder while Vennia dawned a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk.

"Now that she's been freed from that accursed weed, sister's powers are back in full."

"Honestly, it was mostly because I caught them off guard..." she admitted with a blush, "Anyway, Kotone. Come. Let us speak as the girlfriends do."

Kotone blinked in confusion, but did as she was asked, taking a few steps forward and coming to a stop above the sitting fairy.

"No, no," she spoke exasperatedly, shaking her head and patting her lap, "Come, now. Don't make me order you."

Titania's words were kind and gentle, urging Kotone to meet her gaze. While her youthful, freckled face might have appeared childish at first glance, her eyes held a wisdom only a being as long-lived as the fairy queen could possess. If there was anyone in any world who could relate to Kotone's plight, it was the small non-human before her, who'd spent centuries bound to a parasitic 'throne' that afforded her even less freedom than the barista currently had. While she knew they were innocent and the sentiment was appreciated, Kotone somehow never felt right accepting similar offers from her mostly-male circle of friends, but a good cry in her gal pal's arms, though embarrassing, proved too tempting to resist.

"He promised!" she bellowed, "He promised we would meet again, whether it took hundreds, thousands, or millions of years, but it's only been three months, and it _already feels like an eternity!"_

Titania stroked the larger woman's head soothingly as the dullahan knelt beside the two of them, his pose fitting of a knight. While the large metallic hand that came to rest gently on Kotone's back may have been frightening to most, to her, the gentle giant's gesture was comforting.

"But he promised, did he not?" Canus questioned, and she nodded against the shimmery fabric of the fairy queen's dress.

"Yes..." she sniffed.

"Then you shall wait, Kotone. And we shall wait with you."

* * *

The world Misyr found himself in was muggy and dark. A blood-red moon bathed the land below in an eerie otherworldly glow, while what appeared to be a lake of bubbling purple liquid sent noxious fumes wafting skyward. He was lying flat on his belly, face down atop wet, barren soil with his limbs splayed out around him, as though he'd fallen from a great distance. While his consciousness slowly grew clearer, he began to regain feeling in his body, but was still unable to move just yet as he heard several voices conversing around him, and felt something poking his side.

"He's dead, fellas. I say we go for it."

"I still think it's a bad idea! What if he has a hex on him? He doesn't have any wounds, so it must be something sinister..."

"Does his flesh look all black and shadowy, you idiot?"

"Plus, look those horns, those robes! Clearly he's a high-level demon! Can you imagine the boost we'd get from absorbing him?! You guys do what you want; _I'm_ digging in!"

An odd, ticklish sensation overtook Misyr's left hand, prompting him to turn his head to the side and view his tiny assailant.

"Eh?" the slime blinked as their eyes met, and a brief, awkward silence passed before it promptly dislodged itself from his hand with a shriek, "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, IT'S POSSESSED!"

Misyr groaned as he raised his head, spitting out the dirt he'd only just now realized was packed in his mouth while the small amorphous creatures scurried off. When he moved to push himself up, his hands immediately caught his attention. His fingers were once again purple, and tipped with sharp, inhuman claws. Instinctively, he reached up to feel around his ears, and his eyes grew wide at the sensation that greeted him. It appeared he was not only alive, but in a body that was very familiar to him: the demon form he'd assumed to visit Enchanté.

Still struggling to believe it, he closed his eyes and focused, attempting to tap into the reservoir of magic he'd lost as a human. Immediately, the ancient sense came flooding back to him, though it was somewhat different. From what he could gather, this body lacked the raw, destructive power he'd possessed in that strange form in the World of End Times, though that was probably for the best. While his offensive capabilities had been considerably 'nerfed', as Il would put it, he wasn't weak by any means. He could still likely hold his own against an angel, and the variety of magic available to him had expanded greatly.

A quick glance at the dreary landscape confirmed his suspicions that he was in the demon world of Asmodia, before a small crater in the shape of his body caught his attention, and the newly-formed demon gave a small, melancholy chuckle under his breath.

"Thanks for the gentle landing, Souan."

While it was a lot to process at once, his primary objective, the reason he'd come back in the first place, remained clear in his mind. He needed to find Kotone. If memory served, Asmodeus had forced a wormhole to the human world to remain open with magic the moment he'd learned it appeared, and been using it in lieu of a proper gate to visit her ever since. It led to a secluded area a few miles from Enchanté, but in his current form the trip would be a breeze. If he could find it, that is.

Hushed voices were heard from behind a nearby withered shrub, and Misyr peered over to find the three tiny Asmodians whispering frantically to each other. Whether they were the same gelatinous trio the king had taken along with him for his failed invasion was unclear, but any natives that might give him a lead were a welcome sight.

"I told you guys not to mess with it! I told you, but did you listen? No!"

"Uh, yeah. You little guys happen to know where the portal is?"

"EEEEEK! P-PLEASE DON'T KILL US!"

"Oh, no. I wasn't-"

"We slimes are no match!"

"If you'll just listen-"

"We definitely weren't trying to absorb you just now!"

Misyr ran a hand through his hair in frustration. It seemed they were too riled up to hold a normal conversation, so, for the first time in a long while, that old, sly smirk spread across his features. He cleared his throat before standing tall and, with the aid of magic, speaking out again in the most terrifying, booming demonic voice he could muster.

"𝕃𝕀𝕊𝕋𝔼ℕ 𝕎𝔼𝕃𝕃, 𝕃𝕆𝕎𝕃𝕐 𝕊𝕃𝕀𝕄𝔼𝕊!"

"Eeep?!"

"𝕀'𝕄 𝕊𝔼𝔼𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝔸 ℂ𝔼ℝ𝕋𝔸𝕀ℕ ℙℝ𝕀ℕℂ𝔼𝕊𝕊 𝔸ℕ𝔻 ℍ𝔸𝕍𝔼 ℝ𝔼𝔸𝕊𝕆ℕ 𝕋𝕆 𝔹𝔼𝕃𝕀𝔼𝕍𝔼 𝕊ℍ𝔼 ℙ𝔸𝕊𝕊𝔼𝔻 𝕋ℍℝ𝕆𝕌𝔾ℍ 𝕋ℍ𝕀𝕊 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻'𝕊 ℙ𝕆ℝ𝕋𝔸𝕃! ℕ𝕆𝕎, 𝔸ℝ𝔼 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝔾𝕆𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕋𝕆 𝕋𝔼𝕃𝕃 𝕄𝔼 𝕎ℍ𝔼ℝ𝔼 𝕀𝕋 𝕀𝕊, 𝕆ℝ 𝕎𝕀𝕃𝕃 𝕀 ℍ𝔸𝕍𝔼 𝕋𝕆 ℝ𝔼𝕊𝕆ℝ𝕋 𝕋𝕆... 𝕆𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ 𝕄𝔼𝕋ℍ𝕆𝔻𝕊?"

"Th-th-the portal's ten miles West of here, past the Great Nothing between Skull Mountain and the ogre settlement! You can't miss it!"

A gust of wind blew around the slimes as the their terrifying visitor immediately took to the air in said direction, his voice carrying in the wind even after his body was a mere purple dot on the horizon.

"Thanks!"

"....I think I slimed myself."

As Misyr soared through the air, the terrain beneath him suddenly changed. For miles and miles, as far as the eye could see, there was only ash. Not even so much as a rock remained; his own shadow below him was the only thing he had to look at. This must have been the "Great Nothing" the slimes had refereed to, and the knowledge that he'd caused such catastrophic damage to their small world brought with it a sharp pang of guilt.

Partly in an effort to distract himself, he raised a hand in front of him, pulling up a magic hologram of an astrological chart and gasping at what was displayed. While from his perspective it had only been moments, several months had already passed since the time of his death. Time apparently flowed differently in the spirit world.

"Hang on, Kotone!"

Gritting his teeth, Misyr sped up as much as he was able, whipping up a cloud of ash below him as he zoomed toward the portal.

* * *

It was late at night in the human world when Misyr arrived. A strange feeling overtook him as he entered Enchanté, quietly casting a spell to silence the usual welcoming bell. Kotone was obviously asleep, but before he woke her, he thought it best that they be alone. Careful not to make too much noise, he gingerly ascended the stairway leading to the living quarters of the upper levels. Canus's keen instinct and Ignis's nose had apparently alerted the fairy and Bestian to his presence, as both were already on high alert outside their shared room before he even reached their floor.

"Misyr? Is it truly you...?" Canus stammered, the flame at his neck shirting through a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Holy..." Ignis trailed off, staring at their old friend in wide-eyed disbelief.

"Aww. Did you miss me that much, doggy?" he teased, his gentle smile belying any ill intent.

"Of course we did, asshole!" he barked back, hastily wiping his arm across his face in an attempt to hide any evidence of his true feelings.

Just then, a certain angel appeared in a doorway a few rooms down, staring at Misyr in silence. A few tense moments passed as the two men locked eyes with one another, before he flew across the hallway, leaving a trail of feathers behind him and nearly knocking the demon off his feet as clung to him tightly, his body and wings shivering.

"Cagebird most of all," Ignis added.

"Sorry, Il. You did well while I was gone," Misyr spoke apologetically, patting the man he'd called his brother on the head while he sobbed quietly before Canus spoke up.

"I'm relieved to see you, my friend, but how is this possible? And why are you in that form?"

"Yeah, I don't care how good of a 'cheat' you are or whatever, you croaked in your sleep. Explain," Ignis demanded irritably.

"Believe me, nobody's more surprised here than me, but could we maybe put this on pause for now? I promise I'll explain everything tomorrow, but I really need to speak with Kotone. She has the right to know first."

Sensing his intentions, Canus nodded, placing a hand on both Il and Ignis's backs. The firewolf was still hesitant to go, looking at his old friend suspiciously before clicking his tongue.

"Fine, but you owe me a giant, no, TEN giant steaks for all the hell you put Kotone through while you took your sweet time gettin' back here," he chided, but even the irritable Bestian couldn't hide his smile as the three made their exit.

"But Ignis, why does Misyr owe you for Kotone's suffering? That goes against my understanding of-"

"Shut up, nerd."

* * *

"Kotone?"

The hesitant, quiet utterance was met with silence, and he sighed, aware of the emotional state she had to have been in.

"Kotone, I'm here. Come on out," Misyr spoke again, a bit louder this time and tapping the heel of his shoe against the ground that was her body in an effort to get her attention.

He sighed, looking around him and taking in the precious place, the precious person, that surrounded him. Warm memories of their first tea party came to mind, and a melancholy smile played at his lips until a soft breeze brought him back to attention. He sensed a presence behind him, and could hardly contain his excitement at the partially-translucent form that greeted him when he turned around.

"Kotone!" he shouted, running over and immediately throwing his arms around her. To his dismay, her form was unstable, and as such he was unable to embrace her properly.

"You're here..."

She took a few steps back. Her expression was unreadable, almost guarded, as she gazed at the man she'd feared was gone for good. She'd never forgotten his promise, not for a day, not for a minute, but it was still difficult to believe her own eyes.

"How do I know... that this is real. This must be a dream, or Asmodeus pulling some awful prank..."

"You always and without fail brew me coffee, just the way I like it."

"Anyone who knows me would know that," she spoke hesitantly while taking a step back, dearly wanting to believe it, but afraid to let herself. After all that had happened, there was no way her heart could take it if this was all some cruel farce.

"We're the only members of the world's most exclusive book club," he replied, taking a tentative step closer as he sensed her guard beginning to crumble.

"That's..."

"You love to cuddle up next to me when you think I'm sleeping," he added with a wink.

"You weren't?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

Misyr chuckled, taking advantage of her flustered state to close the distance between them and gently stroke her cheek, which had grown more solid, though his brows furrowed with concern upon feeling a trickle of liquid touch his finger.

"Hey, I thought you'd be happy. I kept my promise, and the whole lifespan thing is a non-issue now, right?"

"That doesn't change the fact that you died, Misyr!"

"I died really good, too. You should have seen the body. _Hoo_ boy, what a mess."

Only he could make light of such an awful time and serious event, but his unique, morbid sense of humor, coupled with his very real, warm arms holding her, left Kotone too happy to keep up the fight. She spared him a final irritated look, meeting the familiar, kind jade eyes that glinted hopefully in anticipation before exhaling in defeat.

"...Well, only you'd have that disturbing sense of humor," she muttered, a tiny smile gracing her features before she finally threw herself against the man to embrace him tightly in kind, "Welcome back!"

There was so much raw emotion in her shaky voice. While clearly elated to see him again, the past several months had to have been a traumatic ordeal, yet despite that, the café was as tidy and cared for as ever. Enchanté was still in business, meaning Kotone had kept on working, kept on living, despite the pain. She was a strong woman indeed, and now more than ever, Misyr felt so incredibly proud to be able to call her his own.

"That's my girl," he murmured, nuzzling his nose against her own, "And, seriously, sorry... If there was any way I could have come back sooner, I would have. The whole thing still kind of blows my mind, honestly, and that's coming from me."

Rubbing her eyes and rolling up her sleeves, just like that, her entire presence changed.

"I'm expecting a full report, Mister Demon Lord," she replied, sounding infinitely more chipper now as she made her way to the dining area with her lover following closely behind. Though only the demon part still applied, his old appearance, coupled with her giddy mood, brought to mind the old, nostalgic nickname.

"Of course, but what is the princess up to?" he inquired curiously, and she turned to answer him with the biggest grin he'd ever seen on her; just two simple words that brought a special warmth to his soul.

"Making coffee!"

* * *

"And in this form, I'm not limited to destruction! Elemental magic, healing spells, the whole kit and caboodle. We're going to do so much stuff together now, Kotone, I promise; once I get you a proper body, we'll travel the world together."

Kotone smiled as she watched and listened to the man she'd been mourning mere hours earlier now going on excitedly with a sparkle in his eye. While the circumstances were shrouded in mystery, the fact that her grandfather still existed somewhere, in some form, and was still watching over her, filled her with a bittersweet sort of warmth. Though Souan had played a huge role in both of their lives, as fate would have it, the three had never actually been together at the same time. She'd have loved the chance to chat with him again, together with Misyr, but the fact that the man she loved had returned was already more than she could ever ask for, and she was thankful to him for his role in that, from the bottom of her heart.

"Honestly, I'd be happy just to visit my parents. If it's with you, though, that doesn't sound too bad."

Misyr grinned at her for the umpteenth time that night, taking a sip of his coffee and sighing dreamily in deep satisfaction at the bittersweet taste. "Ahhh, I missed your coffee..."

Having finished her own cup and feeling a little bolder than usual from the high of his return, Kotone giggled, walking over and plopping herself right on the demon's lap, looping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his neck.

"I missed you more."

Misyr seemed to fidget slightly, but welcomed her embrace. Her temporary body had a wonderful scent: a mixture of the mellow gourmet notes of the café and a warm, gentle, feminine scent all her own.

"Please don't ever leave again, Misyr. I couldn't bear it," she pleaded against him.

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me now," he replied, tenderly cupping her face with his palm and leaning in to kiss her.

She couldn't have looked more blissful in that moment, until she shifted slightly, and her brows furrowed at the odd sensation that made itself known against her thigh.

"Do you have something in your pocket or someth-" she paused upon seeing the embarrassed look on his face. "Oh. _OH!_ E-ER! SORRY!"

"Ahaha, n-no worries! From what I understand, demons are kind of a naughty bunch. That's partly why I worried so much during the whole kidnapping fiasco..." he explained, scratching his slightly-flushed cheek.

Asmodia was a world where impulse and carnal desire reigned supreme. Sexual encounters among demons were a constant and not always consensual occurrence, orgies were commonplace, and they didn't hold any of the hangups found in the human world. While he didn't share the cultural aspects, his new body clearly _did_ share their famously-high libido. Between that and Kotone's soft body pressed so wonderfully against his own, it was pretty much out of his control, and only made worse when she squeezed him tighter and pressed her lips against his with greater urgency than before.

"Hey now, it's mean to tease a man in this state," he whined, taking her wrists and pinning them above her head to lean his face mere millimeters from her own, his eyes half-lidded as he dawned a wicked, sensuous grin, "If you aren't careful, this evil demon lord just might have his way with you."

"That's fine."

Misyr's eyes widened, her reply catching him so off guard that it caused him to drop his little act entirely. Admittedly, he hadn't expected such a response; he'd assumed she would pull back, blush furiously as she always did in response to such teasing, and that would be that, but only the latter part of his prediction had been correct. Instead, the needy look in her warm brown eyes as they gazed directly into his own had his head spinning.

"Woah. I, uh, wasn't expecting that. Touché, Kotone."

Between Kotone still learning to take shape and Misyr's frail condition, he'd never had the chance to claim his dear master. It had been, secretly, one of his biggest regrets and frustrations, though while it was definitely up there on his to-do list, he hadn't expected to check it off barely an hour after returning. Not that he had any complaints.

The two remained like that in awkward silence for a moment, before Misyr finally cleared his throat.

"S _oooo,_ this functions basically the same as your human body now, right?"

"Yes..."

She could tell what he was getting at. When she'd first awoken, the simplest of things had been a challenge. Creating a solid form, touch, even sight and hearing were difficult, however, over a year of practice, provided her emotions were stable, Kotone's body was now able to function nearly indistinguishably from her old human one; she could and even eat, though her senses of taste and smell were still very dulled compared to her human body. It was also anatomically correct, though she hadn't 'tested' that aspect as of yet, which only added to her existing anxiety.

"Um, so do you want to do this in your room, or...?"

"It doesn't really matter to me. Lady's choice."

"Well, it should be easier to hold this form near the gate, but..." she trailed of, looking around them. The scenery spanning Enchanté's first floor was beautiful, even at night. The subtle aroma of flowers, the gentle breeze against the trees, the fireflies creating little flecks of green throughout the dark purple haze of night, all culminated together to form the serene little world Kotone had willed into existence. Though everything about it gave the impression of a vast, outdoor space, in truth, it was all concealed within the currently-locked building, ensuring the two of them complete safety from any prying eyes. While lovely, it admittedly wasn't the most convenient location for what they had in mind.

Sensing her thoughts, Misyr smirked, snapping his finger, and Kotone's mouth hung open as an extravagant, heart-shaped bed materialized in a clearing at the center of the garden. It was easily king-sized, with purple sheets and a sheer canopy draped above it. It looked like something straight out of one of those 'love hotels' she'd read about.

"W _eee_ ll? You like?"

"Are you trying to impress me, Mister Demon Lord?"

"Maybe," he admitted with a hint of sheepishness.

"It's a little cheesy," Kotone noted, stifling a giggle.

"Well _excuse_ me. I'm not an incubus, so cut me some slack here," he whined with a pout, though Kotone knew him well enough to know it was all in jest, and grinned back at him.

"Hehe, sorry. It's still pretty, though, and more importantly, it should work!"

Questionable style aside, Misyr's abilities never ceased to amaze the barista. Everything from the fine silk tassels adorning the pillows, to the tiny crystals intricately woven throughout the canopy; all the minute details that would be a time-consuming challenge for even the most experienced artisans, he'd created in the blink of an eye.

"Your magic really is something..."

"Thousands of years worth of practice has its perks, I suppose," he replied, and Kotone let out a small sound of surprise when she felt her feet leave the ground as Misyr carried her bridal-style the rest of the way, laying her atop the plush sheets. He leaned over her body, the wisps of long, dusky purple hair hanging down and tickling her slightly as his gentle jade eyes searched her own. His face was so beautiful; the high bridge of his nose, his cheek bones, even the non-human parts of him were somehow deeply appealing. Kotone hadn't realized she was staring until he spoke with a hint of worry.

"Hey, you okay? You're trembling..."

"I'm okay! I'm just... really happy," she admitted bashfully, and Misyr found her admission so adorable he couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her.

It started off slow, almost hesitant, but their need for one another seemed to spur things on faster and further than usual, and before Kotone knew it, his tongue slid into her mouth. Tentatively at first, she did the same, feeling the arch of his palate, the sharp points of his fangs, and the hot, slick muscle dancing against her own. As things grew more heated, his clawed fingers began fiddling with the buttons of her blouse, but for some reason, they wouldn't come undone. The barista giggled, backing away while he watched in confusion. He was about to ask what was wrong, but before he could, all of Kotone's clothing simply vanished from her body entirely, leaving her bare as the day she was born.

"Sorry if it's a little anticlimactic. I've got the body part down, but clothes are still tricky."

Over his countless millennia in solitude, sexual thoughts and feelings, like so many other things tied to Misyr's humanity, had all but faded into obscurity. While a few of the poor souls who ended up in his world, particularly demons, had made offers, even if he could have accepted them, he'd never had an interest, and always politely declined. When he met kotone for the second time, while deeply attached to the barista, he didn't really view her as a woman. His love for the brunette was deep, but platonic, however, as he spent more time with the wonderful human who always welcomed him with that infectious smile, who showed concern for him, even when she knew he was being deceitful, and who didn't think any less of him for his horrible form, slowly but surely, those old feelings began creeping up on him. At first it was just little things: how small and soft her hand felt in his own, how pretty her exposed collarbone looked in her work outfit, how cute her cheeks were when they flushed at his teasing, but this soon progressed into noticing the sway of her hips, the soft swell of her breasts, until finally, that very male, very human part of him had awakened once more. Now, as he looked her over, the usually calm and composed demon was not only speechless, but looked like a deer in headlights as an awkward silence lingered between them.

"Oh God, this is so embarrassing!" she finally yelped, her image growing see-through and blurry, snapping the demon out of his trance. Negative emotions could cause instability in her form and even leave her invisible, so with that in mind, he quickly spoke up.

"Woah! E-easy, Kotone! It's okay! See?! Look!" he implored her, frantically waving his hands in front of him before hastily casting a spell to make his own clothing and jewelry disappear, leaving them equally nude, and equally red in the face. The action had been so unexpected Kotone was left unsure how to reply, but evidently his quick thinking had worked, because her outline was solid once more. He sighed in relief.

"Sorry for that. It's funny, 'taking one's breath away' is a line I've read so many times in books I thought it a bit cliché, but here we are," he admitted with a nervous chuckle, and Kotone found herself smiling despite her own nerves. It seemed like Misyr always knew how to put her at ease, and oddly enough, seeing him so vulnerable was actually comforting.

Steeling her nerves and swallowing thickly, the red-faced woman looked over her lover's newly-exposed form. While thickly layered robes normally hid this fact somewhat, he was slightly on the smaller side for a man. Without his heels, he was only a few inches taller than Kotone, but his relatively short stature never bothered her in the slightest; to the contrary, it only seemed to add to his charm, not to mention make kissing him easier. His build wasn't brawny like Ignis, nor slender like Il, but something in between: a wonderful middle ground that offered just enough muscle to appear masculine, yet not so much as to be intimidating. Finally, when her eyes settled lower, Kotone couldn't help but let out a tiny sound of surprise at the unexpected sight that greeted her. While its size and shape were similar, it was anything but human. Much like his fingers, the skin at the base of his shaft took on a wine-colored hue that grew deeper as it neared the tip. It had a slight upward curve to it, with a pattern of ridges running along the bottom and somewhat-intimidating pointed tip.

Noticing her reaction, he quickly spoke up.

"Ah, right. It probably squicks you out in this form, huh? No worries, my cute owner; a quick masking spell will-"

**"No!"**

His eyes grew wide, startled by her rather firm objection.

Wings, tails, even headless knights had been a regular part of Kotone's life since taking over the Enchanté. While momentarily surprised, she was by no means repulsed. Had it been possible, she'd have just as happily laid with him in the form he'd taken in the World of End Times. To her, Misyr was Misyr, and she adored him no matter the form he took.

"Sorry, what I meant is, this is your body now. Actually, this form was the first way I got to know you. I could never hate anything about it!"

He could tell from the earnest look in her eyes that her words hadn't simply been to spare his feelings; they'd been honest and from the heart, and they struck Misyr so hard that he couldn't even find it in him to make a joke or tease her as he usually would. Instead, he hugged Kotone to him tightly, causing her to inhale sharply in surprise from the sudden-but-wonderful feeling of their bare skin touching before he spoke in a quiet, uncharacteristically serious tone.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Misyr. So much," Kotone replied softly, feeling her lips curl into a serene smile as she returned his embrace, enjoying their little moment before the man in her grasp began planting kisses, licks, and gentle bites along her neck, leaving a warm, tingling trail in their wake and eventually coming to a stop when he reached her breasts.

"Hmmm, did you by chance make them a little _bigger,_ Kotone?" he asked with an impish smile, cupping and squeezing them while the woman in question sputtered indignantly above him.

"T-this is a perfect replica of my real body, thank you very much! And how would you know?! Were you staring at my chest?!"

"Guilty."

Despite the demon's admission, he didn't look or sound guilty in the least.

"And you had the nerve to call _me_ a pervert when we first met?"

"Not first!" he corrected. "I had no idea the innocent little girl I met would grow up to be such a lewd, demon-seducing woman. Imagine my shock!" he spoke in mock horror, burying his face in her chest and sobbing theatrically before snickering when said woman ground her knuckles against the top of his skull in retaliation.

He chuckled, taking her nipple into his mouth and silencing her with ease as Kotone bit her lip at the sensation of his mouth around her. From the tiny goosebumps that formed on her skin, to the peak that hardened in his mouth as he rolled it around with his tongue, the temporary body she'd perfected over the past year truly was impressive. There had been a time when just feeling anything at all was cause for celebration, such as the day she'd yelped upon realizing her hand was touching the hot stove and, rather than cry or fret about it as most would, broke into a giant grin and proudly ran out to show the others. It was an accomplishment, to be sure, but this was uncharted territory.

"Misyr, you should probably know, um..."

"Hm?"

She blushed profusely, but did her best to explain.

"This body should be, well, _capable,_ but I don't really feel things quite the same as I did when I was human, so just, you know... Don't worry about me too much."

"It seems you've forgotten, my dear owner," he began, pulling kotone's back flush against him and purring the silken words into her ear, "that I'm not human anymore, either. Don't underestimate the demon lord!" he replied with a grin, turning her around so she sat with her back laid against him. "Tonight's all about you. Don't worry about cumming or pleasing me. Just relax, enjoy the moment and tell me what feels good. Zero pressure, okay?"

She smiled fondly, his words easing her worries somewhat as she shifted her body, trying to find the most comfortable position as his hands continued roaming south.

It's okay, you can put your weight against me," he assured.

"M-Misyr! I..."

"Y _ees_?" he replied with a Cheshire grin, greatly enjoying the little hitch in her breath as he grazed the silky skin of her vulva. The contrast of the soft petals of flesh beneath his fingers and little tuft of curls against his palm felt divine.

"I can't see you like this. I don't like it," she whined, and as if in response, a large mirror instantly materialized in front of the pair, floating before them and offering an uninhibited view of not only Misyr, but the very-exposed position Kotone was currently in, leaning back against him with her legs spread and womanhood in full view.

"Better?"

_"Wha?!"_

"Hehe. Now you have a perfect view of _everything_ I'm doing to you," he spoke teasingly against her ear, before pausing. Despite it being the most raw, intimate moment the two had shared to date, he looked deep in thought, as though on the cusp of solving an intricate puzzle. "...Come to think of it, this could work out well."

"W-w-what are you going on about?!"

"Do you masturbate?"

 _"MISYR!_ God..."

"I'm not teasing! Well, okay, I was a little, but bear with me for a moment. I think I've got an idea."

"...I'm a grown woman, so of course I have. W-why are we talking about this, again?"

"Have you done it since you transformed?"

"Well, no..." she admitted.

While she'd made tremendous progress with her current form, as she'd mentioned, Kotone still wasn't able to feel sensations quite as acutely as she had in her old human body. Fortunately for her, Misyr was not only an extremely patient man, but innovative as well.

"Then that's likely a big part of the problem. Think about it; everything else in this form took practice for you to get the hang of, so I can't imagine this would be any different. Are you willing to entrust yourself to me?"

Kotone felt as though her brain might fry at all that was happening at once. She'd always fantasized their first time as being a little more, well, typical, not with her legs spread in front of a mirror while Misyr gave her a crash course on diddling herself. It was a lot to process and more than a little embarrassing, but the look on his face, those kind, gentle green eyes with a hint of mischief, made her feel safe despite all of that. She answered without hesitation.

"Yes."

"Thanks, Kotone. Don't worry; I won't let you down," Misyr assured against her nape, sounding genuinely honored. Admittedly, he wasn't sure she would agree to it. The fact that she was willing to put herself in such a vulnerable with him made him a little emotional, so in an effort to keep things on track, he began peppering her neck with kisses.

"So I just... do it. With you here. Watching."

The quiet utterance was more of a statement meant to psych herself up than a question, but the purple-haired man replied cheerfully nonetheless.

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!"

"Hmph. You better not laugh if I make any weird faces."

"Cross my heart."

"And it probably won't be as quick as usual."

"Take your time. We can stay here all week if we need to."

"The café opens tomorrow."

"I can put a sign up! 'Closed for the week: princess being ravaged by demon king'."

_"I think the first part would have sufficed!"_

"Thinking it's time I dropped the 'king' moniker, huh? Hmm... Nope, I think it's grown on me. Makes me feel all noble, you know?"

"Personally, I think you're more of a jester than a king," she admitted. Despite her words, Kotone's tone and adoring expression as she turned to face her 'king' and gently stroke his cheek were filled with nothing but affection. The familiar purple horns framing his face caught her eye, recalling the time he'd teasingly offered her a feel of them her first day visiting the shop since her grandfather's passing. She'd been too confused and terrified at the time to even consider taking him up on the offer, but now she couldn't resist reaching up to shyly feel one of the curled protrusions. Without their golden caps, they were the same deep, faintly pearlescent purple color all the way down to their tips, which thankfully appeared slightly duller than the razor-sharp metal usually adorning them. Their cool, ridged surface felt strangely pleasant beneath her fingertips.

"I've always wondered, do you have any feeling in these?"

"Not really. They're pretty much like your fingernails; I can tell when something's touching them, but that's about it," he explained, and Kotone gave a small hum of acknowledgement.

"I see. That makes sense."

"They're _fantastic_ for grabbing onto, though," he added suggestively with a wink, and the brunette's cheeks darkened.

"A-anyway..." she trailed off, swallowing thickly and glancing at the mirror. From her creamy pale skin and curly chestnut pubic hair, to the delicate pink folds just below it, everything about her looked exactly the same as it had before she lost her human body. Casting a shy glance at her onlooker's reflection in front of her, he nodded encouragingly with a smile before, for the first time in over a year, the barista timidly ran her fingertips over her labia. As expected, the sensation as she slid her fingers in was considerably dulled compared to her old human body, but while it didn't feel like much at first, her focused movements, along with the sight of Misyr watching her lovingly all the while, still left her heart racing, and _something_ trying to stir in her nethers. While a part of her found it extremely erotic, being watched during an activity that was normally so private still left her feeling uneasy.

Sensing the tension, he began speaking casually in an effort to help her relax.

"When did you start?" he asked, taking her nipple between his clawed fingers and rolling it at a leisurely pace.

"When I was sixteen."

"Aww, my cute owner is a late bloomer. Well, nothing wrong with that."

As the moments ticked on, she was surprised how comfortable she was growing as they continued their little back and forths. They were both naked, and the subject matter was more risque than they'd ever broached before, yet even this felt somehow natural.

"What did you imagine? Anything I can help out with? I'm open to requests!"

"It was more like I didn't."

That took him by surprise. He'd expected her to have fantasized about an old crush, a celebrity, perhaps a fetish or two, so his interest was certainly piqued.

"Really?"

"Well, I imagined things. Nothing too crazy, mind you, but the other person never really had a face or any defining features. It was always pretty vague, and I mainly just focused on the feeling."

"Noticing the past tense there."

"That's because it... changed after I met you," she admitted shamefully through flushed cheeks.

A tiny strangled sound escaped Misyr's throat at her admission, which made him absurdly happy.

"Sorry! That's probably creepy!" she blurted out apologetically, the gravity of what she'd just confessed to hitting her just a moment too late.

"No, not at all! But, well... I guess that makes two of us," he replied, looking uncharacteristically flustered.

"Really?!" she questioned, mouth agape and heart fluttering in both surprise and excitement at his admission. The demon nodded with a sheepish grin, and she couldn't resist her follow up question. "And, what about you?"

"Oh, nothing much, just things that would make an innocent like you faint upon hearing them."

"Whaa? N-now I'm really curious!"

While she had no idea if he was joking about the latter part, the idea of Misyr pleasuring himself to her, not to mention the mental imagery it evoked, seemed to spike her sensitivity significantly.

"None of them compare to this, though," he admitted between planting loving licks and kisses along her neck as he fondled her breasts. "My imagination could never replicate all the adorable faces you make."

"Hnnnng. You," she huffed, surprising her dear 'king' by taking his previous advice and grabbing hold of his horns to pull him in for a brief-but-heated kiss before returning to her efforts in earnest.

Being mindful of his claws, he ran the pads of his middle and index fingers along her slit to wet them before gently teasing her clit in time with her own movements, rubbing in circles, pressing on it, experimenting with different movements as he carefully gauged her reaction to each of them. His hands moved over her body with the same elegance as they did the piano, making her core ache and walls contract around her fingers, yet as wonderful as it felt, as much as the erotic scene unfolding before her eyes made her heart race, to her frustration, it still wasn't quite enough to push her over the edge. Though she may not have regained all of her sensitivity, it seemed the exercise wasn't entirely unsuccessful, either. Where at first she could barely even perceive her own touches, now she was clearly feeling pleasure. Slowly but surely, they were making progress.

"Is this okay? Make sure to tell me if anything hurts or doesn't feel good, or if you want me to do anything different."

"No, it's good, way better than I was expecting, but," she began, and he halted his movements for her to continue, "I feel like it's all about me. This can't be very fun for you..."

While the lack of clock in sight and flurry of emotions made it hard to gauge for certain, she suspected they'd been at it quite a while. She was grateful for his patience; he hadn't made her feel rushed in the least, but his erection pressed against her back, and hands roaming across her skin, wonderful as they felt, left her wanting to reciprocate in the worst way.

"Are you kidding? Kotone, you have _no_ idea how long I've wanted to do this. I'm on cloud nine here."

"Still, I want to do something for you, too. Besides, I think your idea helped," she concluded, flushed but resolute as she repositioned herself and, in her boldest move of the night, leaned down to gingerly grasp his arousal in her palm, causing Misyr to inhale sharply.

"Is this okay?"

The sight and feel of his cock in her hand was enough to make it visibly twitch.

"Ahah, it's _more_ than okay, Kotone, but as a warning, I don't think I'll be able to last long like this, and you're sort of in the line of fire there."

She swallowed thickly, moving in closer and giving the deep purple tip an experimental lick before she caught a glimpse of her reflection in front of them.

"Th-the mirror can go now!"

"A-ah, got it!" he replied, the mirror vanishing with a snap of his fingers as quickly as it had appeared.

Quickly recollecting herself, Kotone leaned back in to resume where she'd left off, peppering loving licks and kisses along the shaft until she reached the tip, which she slowly eased into her mouth. The shaft was so thick and textured that the idea of it going inside her was a little scary, yet the more she thought about it, the more she felt her core ache with need. His claws combed through her hair encouragingly while she found a rhythm, drawing out tantalizing sounds that urged her to continue. True to his warning, a gush of liquid soon flooded her mouth. While she couldn't taste his release, it was hot, thick, and surprising in its volume. She felt him convulse beneath her, gasping and whimpering as his cock twitched between her lips with each new release, until he finally went still, and Kotone withdrew with an accomplished smile.

"Koto _neee_ , I didn't come back just for you to kill me..." he exhaled hoarsely.

Despite her best efforts to take him all in, a small amount of cum still gathered and dribbled from the tip. She'd half expected it to be some strange color, but unlike the deep purple organ, the viscous white substance that had erupted from it appeared surprisingly normal. Curiously, she leaned in again, gently licking off the remainder while Misyr wailed breathlessly.

"Hng?! Kotone! **Gah!** Too sensitive, _too sensitive!"_

She met his flushed, half-lidded gaze with a cheeky grin, running her tongue from base to tip before posing a teasing question.

"Oh? I thought demons were known for being naughty?"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

"Alright, you little minx."

Faster than she could process what was happening, glittering wisps of magic, much like the ones she'd seen when he'd made a show out of making her coffee, appeared beneath her, wrapping around her, hoisting her in front of him and spreading her legs apart.

"M-Misyr?!"

"Hmmm?"

"What are you doing?!"

"Pleasuring you, silly."

"I told you you didn't need to, it's not-a- _ngh_..."

His tongue lapping against her womanhood left her incapable of finishing whatever her remark might have been, but Misyr answered cheekily regardless.

"Not what?" he asked, his green eyes glinting with mischief between her thighs, "Not cute, and pink, and very wet? I'm afraid I can't agree."

She inhaled sharply as one of the magic forms gently pulled back her clitoral hood, leaving the swollen nub fully exposed to his merciless tongue. There was a bit of an art to angling both himself and the barista in such a way that he was able to have full access without his horns pressing into her too much, but he managed it impressively. It felt like his hands and mouth were everywhere at once. Kotone could feel herself being caressed all over by the magical forms. They lapped at her ears, wound themselves around her beasts, combed through her hair, and even slipped into her mouth on occasion. It was sensory overload, and slowly but surely, he was helping her tap into pleasure.

With a satisfied lick of his lips, he leaned over her, his eyes searching her own. When his gaze was met with a contented smile, his hand sought out hers, their fingers interlocking while the glimmering tendrils began to prod at her labia, spreading them apart and exposing her dripping-wet entrance as he readied himself above her. He rubbed the head against her, carefully ensuring it was good end slick before looking to her for confirmation. When met with a shy nod, he slowly began easing it in.

 _"Hn!"_ Kotone's breath hitched. The pointed tip slid in easily, but the thick shaft it swelled into was much more intense than his tongue or her fingers.

"It's in. I'm finally... in," he spoke in a reverent, mystified tone that was unusually serious for the normally-laid-back demon, his gaze following the clawed finger that ran up her lower belly to rest just under her navel. It almost sounded like he couldn't quite believe it himself, and Kotone was shocked when she saw the look on his face, something she'd never seen in all the time she'd known him: he looked like he was about to cry.

"Misyr? Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, cupping his cheek and snapping him out of whatever trance he'd been in.

A bright, fang-bearing smile soon appeared on his handsome face, washing away any worries.

"Never been better," he beamed, but quickly followed her question with one of his own upon seeing the slightly strained look on Kotone's face. "I feel like I'm the one who should be asking that, though. Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine. I just need to adjust a little," she assured, leaning her forehead against his own, which was furrowed with concern.

She wasn't in pain; the sensation of her body being stretched was slightly uncomfortable at first, but soon overshadowed by a pleasant full feeling that promised so much more. Any fears she'd had over the texture were quickly put to rest as well. The protrusions weren't hard or pointed enough to be painful, but they definitely made themselves known in a positive way, ensuring she was able to feel every last inch of him.

"I think I'm alright now. You can start moving, Mis- _ah!"_ she gasped as he immediately did just that, realizing and appreciative of the fact that he'd apparently been holding back out of concern for her. With her permission, though, it was like a switch had been flipped, and the look on Misyr's face as his hips met hers over and over nearly made her come undone. After thousands of years of existence, he was usually a composed, sly jokester who was able to read people like a book. While she loved every facet of him, there were times when their very different levels of wisdom and life experience was a little frustrating, but now? He just looked like a young man in the throes of pleasure; enraptured, vulnerable, and while perhaps ironic of her to think so now, human. She was discovering yet another wonderful side of him tonight, so many sounds and faces she never thought the all-knowing, all-powerful 'demon lord' could make, and the fact that _she_ was the one causing them left her feeling absolutely giddy.

When the night first started, her temporary body struggled to respond to even pinpointed touch, but now, there was no way she _couldn't_ feel every last inch of his cock filling her up. His comment about demons being 'naughty' was evidently true of their anatomy as well, as it seemed that not only its curved shape, but every little ridge and contour was designed for maximum stimulation. The curved, pointed tip she initially feared rubbed relentlessly against her G-spot, and not a single part of her inner walls was left untouched by the thick, textured shaft. It was like he was claiming all of her, and she couldn't get enough of it. It was only when Misyr spoke breathlessly with a hint of amusement that she realized how loud she was being.

"Someone's enjoying herself," he teased breathlessly.

"What about, _ah,_ y-you?"

"It feels amazing. You're so soft inside, _hn_ , and warm."

The tight, hot walls that squeezed and molded to him, the warmth and softness of her beautiful skin against his own, were all indistinguishable from a real flesh-and-blood body.

She was close, so close, _frustratingly_ close, and apparently Misyr had picked up on this, as one of the magic tendrils began lapping insistently just below where he was already buried, pressing into and slowly coaxing the tiny, puckered entrance open. When it slid in, Kotone's breath hitched at the completely alien, yet oddly not unpleasant, sensation. She'd never even touched herself there in a sexual manner, so to say it was a surprise would have been an understatement.

"M-Misyr! That's, hah! Dirty!"

"Nothing about you is dirty," he corrected gently, "besides, you can feel it more like this, right?"

He wasn't wrong. Having her back door filled while her front walls were already stuffed to capacity with his cock certainly intensified the experience. Perhaps it was due to embarrassment, perhaps it was all the intense, forgotten sensations he was able to coax out of her fabricated body, or maybe it was simply because she was so unbelievably happy, but as he plunged into her relentlessly, over and over again, groaning possessive words of adoration, tears began to collect in the corners of her eyes.

"Hah! Misyr!"

He wasn't sure exactly when it was that his fixation with the former human had blossomed from an almost maternal desire to protect her into something much deeper. There was a time when he'd have been happy to simply watch over her from the background, or so he told himself, but now, he couldn't deny it. He needed her like he needed oxygen, not just in his life, but in his arms. his new demon body was practically screaming to claim her.

"Kotone, _hng!"_

Best friend? Partner? Lover? All were technically accurate, yet none could even remotely begin to convey the depths of his feelings.

"Kotone!" he grunted, his furrowed brow dripping with sweat.

His Kotone. His salvation. His everything.

**_"Kotone!"_ **

Her legs locked around him as her body finally succumbed to all the stimulation. Her entire body convulsed, including her walls that spasmed around him, pushing him over the edge he'd been teetering on and milking him dry as he emptied himself into her with strangled grunts. For a brief, euphoric moment, she couldn't tell where her created body ended and his began, until the two eventually collapsed, panting and smiling at one another.

"Where did you learn to do that? The magic," she asked, still catching her breath.

"Hmm. That would b _eee_..." he paused, enjoying her eager, curious expression as she awaited his answer, "a secret!"

In truth, Misyr had no idea what his history may have been in the age of Genesis. All the knowledge he'd put to use came from a mixture of books, magical expertise and his own fantasies, and while he'd done his best to study up on the subject before he fell ill, the perceived lack of experience still left him secretly nervous. The sight of Kotone's flushed, panting form was not only arousing, but a big relief as well, leaving him feeling quite accomplished.

"Oh, come on!"

"Well, if you're into tha-"

A pillow collided with his face before he could finish, and the two broke into laughter as she went on the offensive. Their little play fight was brought to an end when he entangled her arms and legs with his own, leaving them locked together and facing one another.

She smiled tenderly, brushing aside the long, unruly section of his bangs that was once again bright purple to look into his eyes. Despite the changes his body underwent, despite once again being non-human, they were the exact same gentle green orbs.

"I'm sorry, Misyr. After all you went through to save me, I couldn't do anything for you in return, and now I have to rely on you all over again..."

Faster than she could even process, he rolled their bodies so she lied on top of him, cupping her cheeks and urging her face down so their foreheads touched, and she could look at nothing but his earnest green eyes.

"Everything I went through was worth it to meet you, and I don't just mean with Noah."

A clawed hand ran gently through her chestnut locks before sliding over to cup her cheek tenderly, urging her to look at him. There wasn't a hint of frustration, sorrow, worry, or any of the countless emotions he had every right to harbor given not only everything he'd endured, but the gravely important task he'd been entrusted with. Instead, this man who'd gone through so much, who would have been justified more than anyone in all the worlds to be a bitter, cynical husk, was looking up at her with eyes that practically sparkled with life, kindness, and love. His pointed thumb ran across her cheek soothingly as he dawned that familiar, fanged smirk she so adored: mischievous, kind, and unabashedly adoring.

"You don't take the time to appreciate all you've really done, do you?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned, genuinely befuddled.

"You say you couldn't help me, but need I remind you, my dear, that were it not for you, I'd still be stuck in that world? You saved me, Kotone, and the fact that I can return the favor makes me happier than you could possibly imagine."

The woman in question bit her lip pensively.

"And it didn't stop there!" he continued, "When I got sick, you were at my side constantly. You fed me, helped me get around, even read to me."

"I was just doing what any good girlfriend would do."

"Kotone, listen, I didn't want to go there on our romantic evening, but you've forced my hand here: it takes a special kind of woman to hold a guy's hair back without a word of complaint while he's heaving over a toilet."

Kotone burst into laughter at that.

"You're wonderful; the most amazing person I've ever met. I'd be lost without you."

"Well... ditto," she admitted with a shy smile. "By the way, um..."

"Hmm?"

"Would you mind if we slept together in your room from now on? Well, _officially_..." she added, flushing at the memories of sneaking in to curl up beside him over the covers, which he'd apparently been fully aware of the whole time.

Misyr's eyes twinkled in both delight and mischief at her shy request.

"Nothing would make me happier, though I do hope you understand we'll be doing _much more_ than just sleeping."

"I do. Also, it's poking me again."

"Demon body! It's the demon body, I swear!" he replied, holding his hands up as Kotone rolled her eyes before pouncing on him.

* * *

After thoroughly enjoying one another well into the night, the two non-humans eventually conceded they should probably go to sleep if they wanted to be ready for the eventful day and bombardment of questions from their friends tomorrow was sure to bring.

Kotone's sleeping body had grown partially translucent again, as it often did after she exerted herself. Misyr pulled her slumbering form closer, squeezing the barista gently against his chest, as if to ensure she remained tethered to reality, and in turn, to him. She sighed happily in her sleep, her nude form growing opaque as it unconsciously curled into his own.

"I'll get you your body back, Kotone. I swear it," he spoke resolutely against her hair, punctuating the promise with a kiss to the top of her head as his arms tightened further around her.

Her humanity meant little to him. In truth, her short lifespan was always something he'd dreaded. Her soul was what mattered, but the limitations of her current form were simply too cruel for him to accept. An infinite existence shackled to the space of a single building, even one as dear to them as Enchanté, was still little more than a gilded cage. He wanted so much more for this darling girl. He wanted to travel with her, exploring all the fantastic places described in their books, to check in on their friends in the other worlds, to go on dates like a normal couple, and perhaps someday, to start a family together. None of that was possible at present, but his new body afforded him much more than simple magic or longevity. In this form, while it surely wouldn't be easy, he now had a shot at fixing things. Perhaps not tomorrow, perhaps not for a hundred years, but he would do it. He was the master of cheats, after all. He'd cheated death itself, he'd accomplished the impossible before, and for this woman; this amazing, ordinary being who'd reached her hand out to him and offered him warmth in that barren world, he would correct the course of fate. He would free his precious master, and together, their strange and sprightly days would surely continue.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's Misyr!
> 
> So, I'm usually at best indiferent to the 'canon guy' in these games; I don't know why, it just seems to be a pattern with me, but Misyr broke it _hard._ I loved his design, I loved his voice, and I loved how kind and supportive he was to Kotone (whenever he called her his "kawaii master" it gave me **all** the feelings) All that being said, there has never been a greater contrast between how much I loved a character and how much their route frustrated me. I could have tolerated them both being human, but ending things off with Kotone stuck as a world and him promising he'd totes be reincarnated or something was just soul-crushingly depressing to me, so I made him make good on his promise! (Also, I feel like Souan, having gotten along so well with non-humans of all kinds and being a generally great guy, would make a great greeter in the afterlife. He was so uniquely qualified that he got the job. <3)
> 
> This was by far the toughest of the three in part because there was just so much to address, and while I don't think I have it in me to undertake another [Fluffy](https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023781)-length story with the gang all working together to find a way to get Kotone a more stable body, I like to imagine that's how the meat of his fandisc route would play out for them, with this being the intro chapter minus the smut.
> 
> Brief and super-spoilery summary of my head version of a fandisc: there are several bad endings where she and/or Misyr die (because that's pretty much obligatory with otome) and one in which she becomes an angel but loses her personality and memories. For the normal ending, she turns either Bestian or human again, regaining her freedom but leaving their time together limited due to a shorter lifespan, and in the best ending, she can end up as either a fairy or demon depending on a few choices you made along the way, with both considered the good ending only with minor aesthetic/dialog differences (The CGs are the same, except she either has little horns or flowers in her hair) In the good ending, they live out a very long and happy life together, with Enchanté eventually serving as a nexus to facilitate relations between humans and non-humans as their existence becomes known to the world.


End file.
